Uniform Statutes

Uniform laws, such as the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, the Uniform Pre-Marital Agreement Act, and others, are model laws proposed by a national group of judges, lawyers and law professors called the Uniform Law Commissioners. The commissioners propose the laws; states are free to enact or reject them.

Topics covered by uniform laws are often ones in which there is much interstate activity, such as marriage, divorce, paternity, custody and child support and in which consistency, predictability and uniformity are desirable. Some uniform laws have been passed by all states (for example, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act) whereas others have only been enacted by a few (for instance, the Uniform Divorce Recognition Act). Clearly, the central goal of uniformity is well served only if a significant number of states enact a given uniform law.